Re:United States should prepare to build a prototype fusion ...
by whatshisface on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @11:52AM
(#18708059)
That sounds like the space shuttle.
>Fusion nowadays is a pure engineering problem not a science problem
Governments aren't any better at engineering programs, in fact they may even be worse.
Re:United States should prepare to build a prototype fusion ...
by godelski on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @01:05AM
(#18713457)
ITER is controversial mostly because scientists don't agree that it is necessary. THOUGH almost everyone thinks it will show fusion is possible. But it is a research reactor. The controversy is that scientists think we can do it smaller and cheaper, much closer to what a power reactor would look like.
But also remember that scientists quarreling is different than how most people argue. It is over minutia.
I heard from many insiders that ITER is a highly politicized project which has too many parties involved and therefore has exploding high costs with rather limited scientific output.
A counter example is Wendelstein-7X which breaks new records every month.
The reason for this disparity is that Fusion nowadays is a pure engineering problem not a science problem and should be managed accordingly.